Another letter appealing to City Council reprinted with permission. Be sure to send yours. Be heard. Greetings Councilmen and Councilwomen, To me, this deal is so obviously wrong for so many reasons, I'm tempted to just say, "Come on, seriously?"....but that might seem too trite and insincere though it is really how I feel. So....more reading for you. Though I knew fairly quickly what my position was on this land swap, it is always good to listen and weigh the possibilities. Having gained a deeper understanding of the pieces, I find myself back to where I started which is that, irrespective of the other elements of this land swap (i.e. the Incline/Barr Trail, Bear Creek, etc...), the heart of the problem rests with Strawberry Fields. It was honestly shocking to hear that such an historic, wild piece of land was being considered in this swap. When most think of Colorado, they think of a state that is beautiful, natural and committed to protecting wildlife and open spaces. It is, in fact, one of the primary attractions to both living in and visiting Colorado - a strong commitment to retaining and protecting our natural landscapes and open spaces. In fact, in reading and listening to others about the history of Strawberry Fields and South Cheyenne Cañon, I was stopped in my tracks by seeing this article posting by a group opposing this deal, "Our Canon", http://more.ppld.org:8080/specialcollections/index/ArticleOrders/271418.pdf, filled with irony which was written by the Gazette decrying a $0.25 toll to visitors that was going to be implemented by E.P. Tenny who had purchased the land from naturalist John Hull who had intended it be preserved and public in perpetuity. "Both North and South Cheyenne Cañons are owned by private properties and their ​beauty can be viewed and comforts enjoyed only by the payment of tolls. Our most beautiful scenery is now no longer free as the air. This was our boast. We had the free enjoyment of these beautiful resorts so long that we did not realize their value until they were taken from us. We now feel the need of them and see the mistake of ever allowing them to become private property." ​ So, here we are again -- about to reverse the lessons of the past. One could write a tome on this issue and reference so many examples, but I will just cut to the chase and give a few key reasons why this is an unwise plan: 1. A habitat rich in biodiverstiy. Strawberry Fields is a special piece of public lands teeming with wildlife. I live across the street and see all the regulars plus a few more elusive like lions, lynx (twice which is a real treat!), snowy owls (also twice -- another treat - arresting creatures), and many more...this land should be moved towards conservation status by the City not sold to a for-profit entity. The topography of Strawberry Fields is unique....green valleys to towering red rocks and caves which most definitely shelter many of our furry friends....which lends itself to a vast array of animals and plants. It really is a Garden of the Gods meets Pike National Forest all in one area. It's truly a uniquely special part of Cheyenne Canon in this way. 2. Zoning, Deeds & 1st Right of Refusals are not adequate protections. There are no contractual tools which are iron-clad. Zoning, as everyone knows, can be changed fairly easily. Deeds often do not carry through when land is sold. 1st right of refusals almost always ensure escalated prices when they are enacted. What about this possible scenario: the City sells the land with PK Zoning and Deed restrictions to the Broadmoor. The Broadmoor decides in 6 months they no longer want it, but at the price it's offered due to new valuations the City can no longer afford it. The Broadmoor sells it to a shell corporation affiliated with an Anschutz entity. Voilà, the Broadmoor suddenly has 189 acres of pristine land which is deed-free. All totally legal transactions. It happens. Good-bye to a thriving wildlife population and public access and and hello to grand iron fences and a potential bevy of profit generating vehicles. As lovely as the Broadmoor is, and it most certainly is, it is a for-profit entity which faces all pressures associated with generating returns. So, any private ownership places the eco-system at risk -- even with the best of intentions, promises galore and "iron-clad" clauses. 3. We are Colorado. Public parks and lands are and should be a premium in our great state. Our goals should be to expanding not subtracting. Acquiring the other parcels to complete the trails is a wonderful idea, and the City should strive to do that -- but independent of Strawberry Fields. More acreage isn't necessarily better. The Broadmoor is getting the better deal. The rough valuations I have read (which I believe was using adjacent land values) of Strawberry Fields is at $30,000,000. The other parcels don't come close as they aren't develop-able like Strawberry Fields. Further, owning the Incline carries additional legal liabilities that the City should weigh heavily not to mention structural issues which have been raised. The Incline is very fun -- but it's not an iconic, wild open space like Strawberry Fields. In any case, those issues should be addressed separately and not bundling these pieces together. It's an inflexible approach which robs the wildlife and public -- we can achieve the same ends a better way -- we are Colorado. We place premiums on preservation and conservation. I saw someone write somewhere in all this frenzy, "This would be like selling land in front of Maroon Bells to Hilton." That really sums it up well. And to the criticism that I only care because I live next to it, I say, "You bet." I chose to live here (over Boulder which was on our list) BECAUSE of Strawberry Fields -- but I don't want to own it or put fences around it preventing others from enjoying it or pave it destroying the homes of those who came before me -- the wildlife -- I just want to be able to marvel at it and revel in it -- and that's what is so special about Colorado Springs. The respect for and protection of Nature. Do the right thing, please. Go back to the drawing board and rework this deal to exclude Strawberry Fields. Learn from history. Protect this precious land. Warmest regards, Dana Duggan